Italians call New Year's Eve La Notte di San Silvestro (Saint Sylvester's Night) or often just Capodanno, which technically means New Year's Day but refers to the whole period, celebrating with large dinners (Cenone di Capodanno), fireworks, and good luck traditions like eating lentils and wearing red underwear for prosperity in the new year.
New Year's Eve, known in Italy as La Festa di San Silvestro, is celebrated with a mix of family dinners, age-old customs and exciting city-wide festivities.
Buon anno : the most common way to say Happy New Year in Italian.
New Year, or Capodanno, is a cause for great celebration in Italy, and while this occasion is celebrated worldwide, many of the traditions here are entirely unique to this country. We take a closer look at the events, traditions and festive food that make celebrating New Year in Italy so exceptional.
In many cultures—especially in Spain, Italy, and Latin America—wearing red underwear on New Year's Eve is believed to bring good luck, love, fertility, and protection from negative energy. Red is traditionally associated with vitality and warding off evil spirits, making it a popular color for welcoming the new year.
Red, without a doubt: this is the colour of the holidays in Italy, especially on New Year's Eve. Whether tone on tone or combined with gold and silver, it is always the star of the table and of the outfit, even if only as an accessory: wearing red brings good luck, or at least that is what people say.
Capodanno, meaning “the head of the year” in Italian, is the idea that how you begin the year shapes everything that follows. Capodanno: a New Year's Eve affair is the perfect start to the head of the year. In Italy, it's all about celebration, sparkling toasts, and gathering with those who matter most.
In some parts of Italy, especially the central regions, mumming takes place on Epiphany eve. Dolls are made of her and effigies are burnt and bonfires are often lit. She brings gifts to good children, typically sweets, candies or toys, but coal to bad children.
“Veni, vidi, vici”
Here's another Latin phrase that has worked its way into not only modern Italian, but English as well. The short, sharp brag – meaning “I came, I saw, I conquered” was first said by Julius Caesar in around 47 BC, after he swiftly conquered a tract of land in modern Turkey at the Battle of Zela.
The most common and direct way to say Merry Christmas in Italian is Buon Natale.
Say “Buon appetito!” before starting your meal.
People snack on panettone or pandoro, drink prosecco, and wait together for midnight. For many Italians, this relaxed, family-centered moment is just as important as the party afterward.
#NewYearsEve. Also known as Old Year's Day or Saint Sylvester's Day, New Year's Eve is one of the most exciting holidays of the year. Some countries, such as the Philippines and Latvia, celebrate New Year's Eve as a public holiday. In Japan, it's a government holiday.
Horseshoe - To be hung on the front door with the tips pointing upward, it is one of the best-known good luck symbols in Italy and around the world.
New Year's Eve: Partying in the Piazza
It's celebrated in lively group gatherings. After enjoying a traditional New Year's Eve cenone (feast), many Italians head outdoors to their city's historic streets and piazzas. Here, you'll find firework displays, open-air concerts, and folks reveling in the shared festivities.
Some cultures and traditions believe that sweeping or washing anything on January 1st means you're symbolically “sweeping away” your good fortune for the year ahead. Others think doing laundry could “wash away” a loved one or invite misfortune. Here's the good news: Traditions are what you make of them.
Let's get into it! Fun fact! New Year's Eve is actually called Oudejaarsavond in Dutch, meaning “old year's eve.”
The red horn, also known as the “cornicello,” is a traditional amulet that represents good luck and protection against the evil eye. Its shape, resembling a small horn, is associated with fertility and strength, while the red color is considered a powerful antidote against negative energies.
Red: Overall Good Luck
The event is steeped in legend and originated when people decorated their homes with red decor to scare off a hungry beast that was rumored to threaten villages every New Year. Today, red continues to be associated with good luck in the Chinese and other Asian cultures.
You may want to wear yellow panties as that color represents wealth. According to a superstition stemming from Latin American and European cultures, the color of the underwear you don on New Year's Eve can affect your year. Red panties are said to bring passion and love, while pink brings platonic love.
A cornicello (Italian pronunciation: [korniˈtʃɛllo]), cornetto (Italian for 'little horn' / 'hornlet'; [korˈnetto]), corno (Italian for 'horn"'), or corno portafortuna (Italian for 'horn that brings luck') is an Italian amulet or talisman worn to protect against the evil eye (or malocchio [maˈlɔkkjo] in Italian) and ...
The focal point of the New Year's Eve celebration for Italians is a big feast with friend and family. Two things you will traditionally find at this meal are lentils and pork, which can include cotechino, a large spiced sausage, or zampone, stuffed pig's trotter.
But in some cultures, there's a unique tradition that goes beyond champagne and fireworks: throwing lentils. This custom, rich with symbolism and history, invites us to explore themes of abundance, prosperity, and new beginnings.